Metro to stay open late for Redskins game, releases Silver Line results

WASHINGTON – Metro service will be extended an hour Thursday night to accommodate Redskins fans.

The Redskins play the New England Patriots in the team’s first pre-season game at FedEx Field.

Riders should enter the Morgan Boulevard or Largo Town Center stations by 12:20 a.m. to catch the last Blue and Silver line trains. Entrances to all other stations will close at their normal time but riders will be able to exit the closed stations.

Metro also announced this week ridership results for the first full week of Silver Line service.

The line’s five new stations averaged about 15,000 boardings but passengers took a total of 220,000 trips either to or from the new stations.

Ridership was about two-thirds of the projected goal of 25,000 weekday boardings. Metro expects to hit that target after a full year of service.

An overwhelming majority of riders began or ended their trip at the Wiehle-Reston East Station, which is the farthest west and includes a parking garage and a large transit hub. The other four stations have limited or no parking.

More than 19,000 passengers began or ended their Metro ride at the Wiehle-Reston East Station on Thursday alone, according to Metro